by elliott west
Ding Junhui is the greatest snooker export that China has ever produced but unfortunately he doesn’t do what it says on the tin, win. Much has been said and written about this Chinese player from Wuxi about his talent and genuine flair on the table yet when it comes to reality, Ding can’t consistently win. The famous scene of him breaking down during a match with Ronnie is a picture that seems to have haunted his career ever since. Don’t get me wrong he has won multiple career trophies but when he now takes part in tournaments part of him is missing.
Ding lacks belief and without that you are doomed in this sport. Belief is the very cog spring to any player’s game and controls the attitude, demeanour and winning streak that he/she displays in a match situation. Ding’s negative body language and frustration is easily picked up by his opponent and can be quickly punished on the baize. Ding needs to take a leaf out of Judd’s book. Both players are gifted yet Trump has found his mojo. If he did this then look what would happen, the holy grail of his career, the missing World Championship title could be his.
Any sportsperson can get in a rut and that frustration plays out in their game. Ding often flicks off his concentration switch and misses the elected shot. This leads to bizarre scenes such as the outburst at the World Championship. Ding missed the shot and before he went back to his seat, he put his head on the table and started to head-butt it. Not only does this send out a bad message for the players and fans but it genuinely hurts. When you have a fight with a snooker table only one person wins and it is not the instigator. Stephen Maguire learnt this the hard way when he rapped his knuckles on the cushion handrail and fractured them as a result.
Ding Junhui is a fantastic break builder and when in the correct gear can clinically beat anyone he is drawn against. He has learned to speak the English language and now spends time between his homes in China and Sheffield. Maybe his recent addition to the family has caused his game to suffer as it is extremely hard to juggle between being being a new parent and performing consistently well at your place of work. However Ding has had many sips of the winner’s cup and so it must very frustrating for a player of such high calibre to bomb in an event. If this happens consistently over a period of time, you start to feel that you can’t win and a flashback of the previous defeat plays on your mind as you take on the next tournament.
Snooker may not be a physical sport but it relies heavily on the brain itself and probably uses the majority of the brain to play it. Like any mechanism, it becomes tired and confused. Ding is in that mindset and must with the help of his coach, Terry Griffiths and others, try to lift this mental fog and bring out the real Ding Junhui again. Only then will this talented player shine and win the multitude of accolades he deserves, including his first World Championship title.
